Career Counseling - Essay Example

Doctorate in Counseling Psychology – Career Counseling According to Miller-Tiedeman (1999), there are two types of the job client and the journey client. As described by Tiedeman, a job client is an individual who looks for a permanent and long term job or occupation basically because that person needs to have a regular and fixed source of income to pay off loans and meet daily life expenses. A journey client on the other hand, is one who concentrates on making efforts to accomplish a goal and waits for his efforts to bear fruits. Thereby providing a more stress free and relax kind of life that gives more personal satisfaction for the individual. Taking the job clients general perspective of the work environment, it is supposed that these types of individual like permanency and continuity in their life especially when it come to having a full time work that could provide for their daily needs and expenses. The job client must be advised that hoping for permanency in the working market during these present times is unlikely because there are many factors that should be considered like pay, working conditions and benefits. Taking the job’s client views in a deeper context, it could be seen that such personalities are not very susceptible to change. As a counselor, I would primarily help to increase their motivation for change by advising such clients to look at the whole picture objectively and will aid them in understanding some situations as to when its time to let go and when to take considerable actions (Introduction to the 12-Steps n.d.). It is essential that sessions planned for such activities are taken one step at a time to prepare the individual in good order when the time to take action is considered. As for the journey client, his/her strength comes from being patient and careful in taking time to achieve an objective. However, the fast paced kind of world at present is very volatile for what may be considered as a high technology now is no longer considered as such tomorrow. Consequently, when one is so tolerant in waiting for things to happen after having expended valuable effort and time, the journey client will often miss other good opportunities that may be equal or much more than what he/she has previously worked and anticipated on. Hence, as a counselor, I would help said kinds of individuals to identify factors that are controllable and not controllable in their pursuit of goals. The controllable factors would definitely be an advantage for the journey client because he/she would be able to moderate it in accordance with his/her needs. However, for the uncontrollable factors – the journey client should be aided in how to find and understand alternative ways to tackle such hindrances that will provide the opportunity to accomplish a goal for a shorter period of time. Although both types of clients may face the same barriers, like fear and depression over failures and mistakes in the accomplishment or undertaking of a particular goal, it is important that they are aided by a counselor who is both impartial and objective (ACS Distance Education 2007). Because counseling is not just giving advice, “it is a process wherein a qualified person assists another person to better handle his or her problems (Lesson 15: Counseling 2000 March 22)”. Therefore, an effective counselor should be sincere, a good listener and honest to be able to have an effective working relations with clients, based on trust and mutual respect (Lesson 15: Counseling 2000 March 22). Another related topic to counseling is self-talk. As per Karl Perera (2004), "our thoughts precede our moods". For this reason, if we think of happy or unhappy thoughts our feelings and actions follow suit. Our inner voice, which is the source of our self-talk, guides us in how we perceive ourselves and life in general. Negative self-talk is usually the source of low self-esteem and depression that makes a person feel miserable or defeated when things do not go according to plan or what was expected (Karl Perera 2004). In any case, these thoughts have a Significant impact on ones mental health and emotional well-being that could "either be good or bad depending on what those thoughts are" (The Lounge 2002). Essentially, the emotional stability of the client depends greatly on how well he or she handles various life situations. It must be understood that people react and feel differently to the same situations or events. Negative self talk or being pessimistic increases the perception of stress where one sees the negative in extreme, thereby causing more emotional strain. Moreover, it causes self-limitation that inhibits a persons abilities in fear of taking risks, and instills limited thinking that hinders a person to "stop looking for solutions". Since negative self-talk is usually a "mixture of half-truths, poor logic and distortions of reality" that occurs during a rough period in a persons life, an individual must learn to replace the pessimistic thinking with an optimistic view by assuming that all problems have solutions and that nothing is perfect in life. Likewise, a person must learn to deal with mistakes and failures, but he or she must not wallow so much in self-pity or fear. It is always best to think that everything happens for a reason and it is usually up to us on how we control our emotions and deal with the circumstances that beset our lives. For career related decisions, self-talk is significant because it affects how a person feels, his/her self-confidence and self-esteem (The Lounge 2002), which generally has an impact on the persons overall achievement. Before proceeding into a direction of any career path, an individual should learn to channel his/her negative sell-talk into positive self-talks that are focused on his/her strengths as early as possible. Being aware of what he/she is really good at and how this could lead to a fruitful career that may not only bring financial stability but personal satisfaction as well. Another consideration would be to look at situations or life events objectively by helping the client weighs all the disadvantages and advantages. Because there may be times when a problem may sound or look worst than it really is. Then there is the fact of being realistic by knowingly admitting to ourselves and others our innate abilities/talents and weaknesses or limitations. It is also wise to inculcate the idea within our minds that we cannot get what we want most of the time. And it is imperative that the goals we set for ourselves are achievable. A combination of positive thinking, hard work and confidence will surely aid in the success of following a desired career path (The Lounge 2002). Moreover, repeating certain thoughts especially the negative ones will make an individual believe in them even if they are not true. Accordingly, comparing our abilities and personality with others when it comes to achievements and popularity lead to insecurities that inhibits us to perceive our good points. If such insecurities persist in an individual’s thoughts, then they become a hard habit to break. Thus limiting possibilities of success in any undertaking leading towards a career (The Lounge 2002). Making decisions with regards to an education leading to a career is not a simple and quick process. It usually involves a step-by-step process, which must be accomplished before the goal is achieved, in this regard, the following principles should be observed when aiming for any kind of career in the future (Career Decision Making n.d.): 1) create a vision, 2) make an initial decision, 3) set a goal, 4) develop an action plan and 5) take action. To corroborate the preceding paragraph, making a decision normally starts with an imagined or foreseeable future where Annette should be able to envision what kind of life she would like to have. In this phase or stage of decision making the person must possess a strong motivation in achieving that particular goal. It is essential at this stage not to restrict the choices that are possible. However, consideration must be given to reality where being honest to ones self is paramount, with regards to abilities and resources. During this period of “self-assessment" all the good and bad points of the choices that will be made should be weighed carefully and narrowed down objectively. Taking the risk of pursuing possible choices always mitigates fear (Career Decision Making n.d.). But since there are other avenues opened along the way the consequences of actions taken in the pursuit of a dream must be taken in stride. Because as mentioned earlier, all problems have possible solutions and that nothing in life is perfect. Annette must likewise be cautioned to take her steps one at a time and should be guided in making a list of commitments or priorities that she will be able to keep and meet. There will surely be many obstacles along the way but she must learn to view them merely as detour signs to try other roads or options and to persevere in her quest (Career Decision Making n.d.). Aside from this, Annette must also consider how far she would like to go to achieve a particular career commitment and obtain the satisfaction she craves for such an accomplishment. Once the envisioning phase or creating a vision stage is through; Annette must now make an initial move as to where to start carving her stepping stone towards the career she dreams of. On this second stage, making an initial decision come in, and various alternatives must be prioritized. Logical thinking combined with a gut feeling (Career Decision Making n.d.) helps in making a tentative choice. The third step in career decision making is the principle of setting a goal whereby optimistic or pessimistic thoughts may affect the level of accomplishment where the person or individual is only "likely to achieve what he/she believe he/she can (Career Decision Making n.d.)." Thus, Annette must have enough self confidence and determination to pursue her education that would lead to a career she likes. In order to do this she must be informed to assess and take into consideration the following criteria (Career Decision Making n. d.): 1) Specific, 2) Measurable, 3) Achievable, 4) Realistic, and 5) Time Specific. For a goal to be specific a person must know what exactly he she wants to accomplish and must be able to comprehend the methods that could be used in the accomplishment for a very clear purpose. In terms of being measurable, a goal should be expressed in terms or numbers or percentage to be able to gauge how far one has come in achieving said objective and how much more is needed to attain the goal to be able to say that it was one hundred percent fulfilled. Example: "I need to study harder because my score for the last examination was only 50% of the grade I need to pass this course”. A goal must both be achievable and realistic. Meaning that the objectives or goals must be based on the persons natural ability and available resources like time and money. It would be quite futile if a certain objective may conform to the talent of an individual but he/she may lack money to finish certain requirements like projects that need monitorial expenses. Likewise, having the financial resources is not the sole criteria for following through on an anticipated goal or objective. For even if one has the money to finance the undertaking but lacks the interest and innate ability required to pass a test or examination then the plan has a big loophole which eventually could lead to failure. Last but not the least is that goals or objectives in life should be time specific, where a deadline must be set in the actual fulfillment of a goal. Example: "to be a manager within a year from now" is more specific than saying "anytime soon"). The fourth phase of career decision-making is the principle of developing an action plan where a concrete course of action is devised and short-term goals are developed towards the ultimate goal. At this stage, idea must he formulated from time to time- since situations change. demanding flexibility of actions on Annettes part. So for a single course of action, it is recommend that she think of at least three (3) possible alternatives or solutions for any consequences arising from such a move. Having a back up alternate plan or plans is essential due to the fact that the farther a persons advances in the pursuit of a dream, the more difficult and complex situations become. Thereby, challenging his/her wit and determination to success (Career Decision Making n.d). The final stage of the process is for Annette to take action. During this phase, it is best to evaluate whether one is still on the right track. Negative thoughts that bring about dejection and low morale must be replaced with positive thoughts of assertion since taking action in order to accomplish something commonly generates criticisms. Also, moderate changes might be needed should new obstacles surface, but if the goal has changed then a revision of the action plan will be required (Career Decision Making n.d.). Mistakes or errors cannot be eradicated and should be viewed as an inspiring learning process. Putting ones mind to the task of fulfilling a goal will more likely move towards its achievement. Looking at the whole picture necessitates replacing "self-limiting assumptions and irrational beliefs with positive thoughts and statements (Career Decision Making n.d.)." In accordance to my belief, career guidance should primarily be concerned with helping people make good decisions and choices that involves careful planning and choice-making (Margaret Francis 2007) which requires adjustments and flexibility on the part of the individual. Hence, it must be a personalized process that combines intuitive and cognitive abilities to process internal and external factors, which may affect the accomplishment of a goal since it highlights the perception and management of various career and lifestyle issues. Therefore, career guidance should help students select career options according to their preference and interest that would help them land the right kind of job in the future by incorporating the right kind of approach. Significantly, career counselors should be able to aid students in identifying other career possibilities when circumstances change. Taking Annettes case scenario – she already has set her mind in joining her brother in a particular university to take a course leading to the film industry. But unfortunately she was not admitted to the said university which now gives her different options to consider since the initial step taken towards the career she dreams of did not materialized. Here, the guidance counselor must inform Annette that all is not in vain because there are other universities to choose from where could still take the course she so wanted in the first place. Guiding her in the identification of said information will at least help her realize that she has other alternatives and options on hand. While the alternatives may not conform to her liking, she must be advised that there are many roads to follow in order to achieve a dream. To make a career guidance/counseling effective, guidance counselors must possess an extensive general idea on how one occupational field differs from another and the different levels of each job within a certain field. A vast knowledge of career opportunities is essential, so that career counselors are more adept at giving appropriate suggestion during career planning sessions. Students and other individuals should be made to understand that the workplace is of a different environment entirely. There are various requirements needed to be successful in different types of jobs. Being educationally qualified for a certain kind of job does not mean easy access to employment. Aspects like workplace conditions, company policies and relationship with future co-workers are factors that could spell failure or success in ones chosen field. Since making decisions on a career is considered a life long process, a student must learn how to plan carefully and should give allowances for mistakes; and this is where career guidance counseling comes in to make a vast difference in the lives of students and other individuals. References ACS Distance Education. (2007) Career Counseling. Retrieved on May 27, 2008 from http://www/acs.edu.au/courses/Psychology-courses.aspx Career Decision Making, (n.d.) University of Waterloo. Retrieved on May 26, 2008 from http://www.careerservices.uwaterloo.ca/resources/CareerDecisionMaking.pdf Francis, Margaret, MSW, M. Phil., PGDICM, Qualified Social Worker and Counselor. (2007 January 20) Retrieved on May 26, 2008 from http://changingminds.org/articles/career_ counseling.htm Lesson 15: Counseling. (2000 March 22) Retrieved on June 4, 2008 from http://level2.cap.go/Prof_Dev_Modules/cap_lesson_15/lesson15_html/lesson15.htm Perera, Karl (2004) Self-talk and Esteem. Retrieved on May 20, 2008 from http://www.more- selfesteem.com/selftalk.htm Principles for Career Decisions. (n.d.) Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Retrieved on May 27, 2008 from http://www.sru.edu/pages/8787.asp The Lounge. (2002 November 4) What is Self-Talk" Food for Thought. Retrieved on May 28. 2008 from http://www.headroom.net.au/lounge/framejamming_lounge.html? self_talk.html_mental_health Tiedeman, Anna Miller. (1999 January 6) Learning, Practicing and Living the New Careering. Taylor and Francis Ltd. pp. 188-189, pp. 202-203. Read More